Having school dinners could help picky teenagers have a more varied and balanced diet, a new study suggests.
The University of Bristol-led research analysed data from 5,300 children at pre-school age and then again at 13 to build a picture of how picky eating behaviours change over time.
The findings, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, suggest picky eaters at 13 were more likely than other children to avoid meat, fish and fruit in packed lunches but not in school dinners.
"Our results suggest that some picky eating behaviours persist while others may be modified in adolescents when they are away from direct familial influence," the study said.
"It is likely that family norms have a stronger influence over packed lunch content than over school dinner choices where the child has more autonomy and may be influenced by their peers."